Hungary elects supreme court judge ousted by Orban as new president
Al Jazeera
•Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:50:51 +0000
📰 What Happened
Hungary’s parliament elected Andras Baka, a former Supreme Court chief who was ousted after criticizing Viktor Orban, as the country’s new president by a vote of 140 to 6. Baka, nominated by the governing Tisza party, will take office on August 19, succeeding Orban appointee Tamas Sulyok.
🔍 The Backstory
Fidesz dominated Hungary for years until a landslide electoral defeat in April gave the Tisza party a two-thirds constitutional majority. Baka was removed from the Supreme Court in 2011 after publicly criticizing what he saw as Orban-era threats to judicial independence.
🎯 Why It Matters
The election marks a decisive break with the Orban era at the head of state, symbolizing Hungary’s political realignment and its shift away from the judicial and constitutional norms established under Fidesz.
Hungary’s parliament elected Andras Baka, a former Supreme Court chief who was ousted after criticizing Viktor Orban, as the country’s new president by a vote of 140 to 6. Baka, nominated by the governing Tisza party, will take office on August 19, succeeding Orban appointee Tamas Sulyok.
Fidesz dominated Hungary for years until a landslide electoral defeat in April gave the Tisza party a two-thirds constitutional majority. Baka was removed from the Supreme Court in 2011 after publicly criticizing what he saw as Orban-era threats to judicial independence.
The election marks a decisive break with the Orban era at the head of state, symbolizing Hungary’s political realignment and its shift away from the judicial and constitutional norms established under Fidesz.